Leadership Elections of the Unión Patriótica (UP)

[Nchiyamengi]

Monday the 6th of February 2017:



Following the defeat of the Kampiya Regime and the fleeing of Presidente Marcos Kampiya to the Kingdom of Lyseria to seek asylum, there has been a power vacuum in the Kizalendo Umoja (KU) / Unión Patriótica (UP) / Patriotic Union (PU) political party and in the nation of Nchiyamengi in general.

While the rebel coalition has seized power over most of the country, thus somewhat filling this vacuum for now, the UP remains highly divided, with a hardline Njengi Nationalist faction under the command of Gobernador Mateo Njera vowing to go on fighting to take back control over the entire country, while a Njengi traditionalist and moderate faction under numerous former top regime leaders calling for an acceptance of peace and democracy.

As such a special party conference of the UP in the party headquarters in the capital of Puertazul to elect new party leadership. New party chairman Hodari Mtiimara (an aged Njengi traditionalist appointed by Taiunyoya and his allies) has declared that only those present in the conference room at the time will be allowed to vote or stand for election as party leader or any other position in the party. The move is seen as a clear way to either force the nationalists in exile in Lyseria and elsewhere and the forces still holding out in the jungles to either hand themselves over and embrace democracy or be ostrecised and expelled from the party.

This will be the 2nd time since the party's inception in 1971 (as a union of Njengi traditionalists, nationalists and moderates petitioning for Njengi rights and power) that a new leader will be appointed, and the first time a vote will be held rather than appointment (with the then 36 year old hardline Njengi Nationalist and charismatic military leader Marcos Kampiya succeeding his mentor, the old traditionalist and noble Enzi Ngaokubwa, who resigned as party leader aged 88 in 1981).

New party chairman Hodari Mtiimara today ruled who could and could not stand to be party leader. The following candidates were rejected for not being present in the election chambers, despite multiple tries to have them stand to be the new party leader:

Incumbent leader and former Presidente Marcos Kampiya (unable to stand as in exile in Lyseria)
Governor of Kusinimwapwani Province Gobernador Mateo Njera (unable to stand as leading insurgency in jungles of Nchiyamengi)
Former Minister of Defence Rodrigo Nusende (unable to stand as part of insurgency in jungles of Nchiyamengi)
Former Minister of Police Maarifa Konde (unable to stand as part of insurgency in jungles of Nchiyamengi)
Mfalme (King) in hiding, Hodari IV of the Njengi, of the House of Kifalmesimba (unable to stand as part of insurgency in jungles of Nchiyamengi)

The first round of voting will be held on Friday the 10th of February with all registered party members voting in official party polling stations in the country, with these being monitored by police and military forces to prevent attacks. If no candidate wins over 50% in the first round then a second round will be held between the top two on Friday the 17th of February. (OOC: I will decide the results, but international endorsements can help particular candidates).

The following candidates were accepted and can now stand in the first round of voting:

Acting Minister of Industry Lucas Taiunyoya (Reformist / Moderate Faction)


Platform:
- Work closely alongside the Coalition Intermin Government to ensure free and fair multiparty elections
- Ensure Marcos Kampiya is tried in a Nchiyamengian court presided by a Nchiyamnegian justice to face justice
- Rebrand the party as one committed to peace, patriotism and prosperity.
- Campaign in elections as the party of fiscal responsibility and one bringing economic stability and prosperity
- Rebuild the ruined town of Kubwamti and other war-torn parts of the country
- Ensure Mfalme Mazibinde V of the House of Kifalmesimba is recognised as the traditional leader of the Njengi people

Governor of Mwambaomawimbi Province Enrique Upangamkubwa (Traditionalist / Moderate Faction)


Platform:
- Work with the Coalition Intermin Government to ensure free and fair multiparty elections
- Campaign for Federalism, ensuring greater independence to the Provinces
- Ensure Marcos Kampiya is tried in a Nchiyamengian court presided by a Nchiyamnegian justice to face justice
- Ensure Mfalme Mazibinde V of the House of Kifalmesimba is recognised as the traditional leader of the Njengi people
- Campaign as the party best suited on leading the country forward to a bright new future, backed by traditional values
- Work closely with local businesses to ensure economic stability and prosperity

Governor of Nyeupepwani Province Santiago Ngaoimara (Traditionalist Faction)


Platform:
- Work with the Coalition Intermin Government to ensure free and fair multiparty elections
- Campaign tirelessly for Federalism, ensuring far greater independence to the Provinces
- Campaign for Mfalme Mazibinde V of the House of Kifalmesimba to be recognised as the Constitutional Monarch of Nyeupepwani, Mitiyakijani, Mwambaomawimbi and Kusinimwapwani Provinces
- Ensure Marcos Kampiya is tried in a Nchiyamengian court presided by a Nchiyamnegian justice to face justice
- Campaign as the party of traditional values and economic common sense
- Ensure traditional Njengi nobles are recognised as local communal traditional leaders

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Gregorio Godeja (Nationalist Faction)


Platform:
- Gobernador Mateo Njera and other Njengi insurgents must be granted full unconditional pardons
- Marcos Kampiya must be allowed to return to the nation without trial or war criminals in the Coalition (Hlayambinda) must face trial in the interest of fairness
- Agree to allowing multiparty elections, calling for these as soon as possible, refuse to work with Coalition Interim Government (views as dictatorial)
- Campaign for referenda to be held on the independence of the provinces of Nyeupepwani, Mitiyakijani, Mwambaomawimbi and Kusinimwapwani (creation of independent nation of Nchiyanjengi)
- Campaign for Hodari IV of the House of Kifalmesimba to be recognised as the Constitutional Monarch of independent nation of Nchiyanjengi
- Campaign as the party defending Njengi minority rights, independence and traditional values

[Nchiyamengi]

OOC: For more info on the Civil War in Nchiyamengi and the fall of the Kampiya Regime go here.

[Nchiyamengi]

11:20am - Tuesday the 7th of February 2017:

5 Nchiyamengian journalists covering the ongoing conflict in Nchiyamengi have been kidnapped by GI terrorists in Mlimayamaisha Province. The terrorists have offered to return the journalists unharmed if they are given money, weapons and ammunition in return. They have given the acting Coalition Government 24 hours to respond and 48 hours in total to get the money and weapons to them or they vow to execute all 5 journalists, record the executions and release the recordings.

[Nchiyamengi]

Friday the 10th of February 2017:

Voting for the new leader of the UP is being held today. All registered members of the UP are able to vote in specified voting stations which have been placed under police and military protection.

Despite the protection there have been a number of attacks on polling stations by all three insurgent groups, with GI terrorists posing as voters attacking polling stations in the city of Ciudadelapalma (killing a total of 47 civilians and 12 security forces, at the cost of 14 adult fighters), VR fighters openly attacking polling stations in villages in Nyeupepwani province before fleeing (killing 51 civilians and 6 security forces at the cost of 8 fighters).

In the ultimate act of party disunity, UP Njengi ultra-nationalists loyal to Gobernador Mateo Njera attacked a number of villages in Mwambaomawimbi and in Mlimayamaisha Province, killing 137 (mostly Njengi moderate) civilians and 27 security forces at the cost of 32 fighters.

The attacked polling stations have been closed and voters have been transported to even more secure fascilaties, the vote goes on however.

[Nchiyamengi]

4:02pm - Saturday the 11th of February 2017:

The results from the first round of voting are in, showing a very divided field, with the hardline nationalist Gregorio Godeja pulling ahead as the surprise favourite.

1st) Former Minister of Foreign Relations Gregorio Godeja - 34%
2nd) Acting Minister of Industry Lucas Taiunyoya - 28%
3rd) Governor of Mwambaomawimbi Province Enrique Upangamkubwa - 25%
4th) Governor Nyeupepwani Province Santiago Ngaoimara - 9%
5th) Spoilt vote - 4%

A second round of voting will be held between the top two candidates, Former Minister of Foreign Relations Gregorio Godeja (34%) and Acting Minister of Industry Lucas Taiunyoya (28%). The vote will be held on the Friday the 17th of February 2017.

[Nchiyamengi]

Former Minister of Foreign Relations Gregorio Godeja won over 50% of the in Kusinimwapwani Province, won a plurality of votes in Mitiyakijani Province, as well as doing well in Nyeupepwani Province and Mwambaomawimbi Province. He also caused a major upset by coming second in the city of Ciudadelapalma, albeit by a distant second.

Acting Minister of Industry Lucas Taiunyoya won a majority of votes in the capital city of Puertazul, and won the plurality of votes in the cities of Mjiwadhahabu and Puertoplátano, winning pluralities in the lower membership dominantly Busetsu provinces of Kaskazinimwamba (where his promise to "rebuilt Kubwamti" played well with the few UP supporters left there), Mwinukomwamba, Maporomokodhoruba, Mlimayamaisha and Puertazul. He also got a fair number of votes in the city of Ciudadelapalma, but ultimately came third there.

Governor of Mwambaomawimbi Province Enrique Upangamkubwa came first in his own province, and one the majority of votes in the city of Ciudadelapalma. Otherwise he mostly came second in moderate Busetsu areas where Acting Minister of Industry Lucas Taiunyoya had won.

Governor Nyeupepwani Province Santiago Ngaoimara - 9% was able to win his own province, and came second in Kusinimwapwani Province, but did poorly elsewhere, winning older traditionalists and locals of his own province but few others.

Spoiled votes were particularly present in Kusinimwapwani Province, with the number of those spoiling their votes beating both Governor of Mwambaomawimbi Province Enrique Upangamkubwa and Acting Minister of Industry Lucas Taiunyoya in the deeply Njengi nationalist province.

[The Green Union]

OOC: What kind of democratic system is this? I assume the voting among the UP is like the United States system where people who identify as members of a political party, not MPs, vote for their leader?

And, for that matter, what is the new democratic system of Nchiyamengi suspected to be?

[Nchiyamengi]

OOC: What kind of democratic system is this? I assume the voting among the UP is like the United States system where people who identify as members of a political party, not MPs, vote for their leader?

And, for that matter, what is the new democratic system of Nchiyamengi suspected to be?

OOC: Every registered member of the UP can vote in the elections. Any Nchiyamengian citizen over 18 can register to be in a legal political party. They can only register to be in one.

Debates are still ongoing on how the political system will work on a national stage, but a Proportional Representation (PR) system seems the most likely due to the significant influence of medium to small sized parties in the interim coalition government (notably the PLD, MSI and the PSP). Each party will likely be allowed to independently decide how to create its own party list. The size of the parliament is currently being debated, but it will likely be between 200 to 350 seats, most have suggested 300 total.

[Nchiyamengi]

OOC: I've been busy, so this is for yesterday.

IC: Saturday the 18th of February 2017:

After the second round of voting on Friday the 17th, once again marred by attacks on the UP voting stations by all three insurgent groups, the following results were tallied and released.

1st) Acting Minister of Industry Lucas Taiunyoya - 57%
2nd) Former Minister of Foreign Relations Gregorio Godeja - 36%
3rd) Spoilt vote - 7%

Acting Minister of Industry Lucas Taiunyoya has as a result become the new party leader, and has used his position to name Governor of Mwambaomawimbi Province Enrique Upangamkubwa as deputy party leader (after the governor endorsed him in in the leadership elections). Governor Nyeupepwani Province Santiago Ngaoimara has been named deputy party Chairman, a clear reward for his endorsement in the leadership elections as well.

The hardline Njengi nationalist candidate, Gregorio Godeja, who was pushed down to second in the second round after the other candidates united to oust him from his first place plurality below 50% finish in the first round, was offered a post as head of the party's committee on Veteran Affairs, but turned down the post.

Instead Former Minister of Foreign Relations Gregorio Godeja and about a third of the party committee have announced their intention to split from the UP and form their own new political party, one which they state is more in line with the traditional Njengi nationalist policies of the UP, particularly during the Kampiya Regime.

Acting Minister of Industry Lucas Taiunyoya won 8 of the 9 Provinces, winning the capital of Puertazul by a significant margin, and winning by significant amounts in the more party member sparse Busetsu provinces of Kaskazinimwamba (where his promise to "rebuilt Kubwamti" played well with the few UP supporters left there), Mwinukomwamba, Maporomokodhoruba and Mlimayamaisha. In the important province of Mwambaomawimbi, particularly in the dominantly Njengi and 4th largest city of Ciudadelapalma, the acting Minister of Industry was able to pull off closer majority victories, in large part thanks to the endorsement by Governor of Mwambaomawimbi Province Enrique Upangamkubwa. The endorsement by Governor Nyeupepwani Province Santiago Ngaoimara allowed the acting Minister of Industry to secure a narrow victory there.

Mitiyakijani Province proved to be the biggest battlefield province, with the acting Minister of Industry winning by only 127 votes there, and with spoilt votes in this province well exceeding this narrow margin.

Former Minister of Foreign Relations Gregorio Godeja was able to easily win the overwhelmingly Njengi and deeply Njengi nationalist Kusinimwapwani Province, and did well in the dominaltly Njengi provinces of Mitiyakijani, Nyeupepwani and Mwambaomawimbi, particularly in the rural areas, but struggled in urban areas and Busetsu areas.

[Secundus Imperium Romanum]

OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE OF THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY TOPIC: THE VICTORY OF CANDIDATE LUCAS TAIUNYOYA PUBLIC CONTENT The Conservative Party, as well as its current Consul of the Second Roman Empire, Giovanni Matarazzo, congratulates the electoral victory of the reformist candidate Lucas Taiunyoya, who infiltrated several opponents but nevertheless managed to have a position so dreamed of by all, being civil, political and military from the bottom up to the highest degree of hierarchy and social class, which is to control your party, group or country and transform it into something better for your people. It is worth mentioning that in recent months the poor nation of Nchiyamengi has undergone a civil war that has led to the deaths of thousands of people who had nothing to do with this communist crisis, causing pain, suffering, hunger and the loss of their homes and homes. Therefore, to occupy this important position that serves for democracy to continue to function in such a chaotic social time is something of incredible courage, that admires all of us, even in such different places. Good luck and God bless you. Cesaro Martini President of the Conservative Party.